In tackling a story like this, we rely heavily on the memories of the people involved (or their children and grandchildren), and on records and archives. The Taco John’s book benefitted from a wealth of detail in both areas. In interviews, family members and long-term employees told stories that had been passed down by word of mouth about the culture of this unique company. Truly special were the incredible insights shared by Harold’s widow, Nona Holmes, the last surviving founder.

On the archive front, we were thrilled to learn that the archivists at Taco John’s had already catalogued and preserved artifacts across the company’s 50 year history. Taco John’s is such a well-loved brand throughout the West that Laramie University had created a public archive of their work, including employee photos, company records, packaging, advertisements, and other ephemera. All of that vibrant visual texture was designed into the book and it’s one of our favourites because of it.